Last updated on December 29th, 2023 at 09:54 pm
Both the Adam T5V and the KRK Rokit 5 are extremely popular monitors that are considered to be more on the “budget” side of things (around $400 for the pair).
The question, however, is which one to choose, since they share a lot more similarities than differences.
In this article, I will give you an overview of these monitors, their features, sound quality, build quality, and I will also give you my opinion on which one you should get and why.
So, without any further ado, let’s get started!
Difference between the Adam T5V and the KRK Rokit 5 G4 Monitors
In terms of sound quality, the Adam T5V have a brighter sound (more high end), and those highs also sound better thanks to the ribbon tweeter, whereas the KRK Rokit 5 G4 sound more balanced and have overall more bottom-end.
There are a couple more differences, such as in their connectivity, features (for EQ’ing them), etc., and I will get to those in each of the monitor’s overview.
Adam Audio T5V
I used the T5V’s a couple times, and while I don’t have as much experience and time invested into them as I do with other monitors, I do have a pretty good idea on how they perform since I spent a couple of days using them for mixing some songs.
Now, the T5V monitors have 5” woofers which means that they aren’t able to reproduce the low end as well as some larger monitors, like the Kali LP-6, for example, so always keep that in mind.
As far as the tweeter goes, this is where the T5Vs shine since it’s a ribbon-style tweeter that is excellent at accurately reproducing the high-end, and in this regard, I do have to say that they are better than the KRK monitors, but more on sound quality in a second.
On the back, they have a level control as well as two 3-way switches labeled “LF” and “HF” that boost or cut the monitor’s respective high- and low-frequency responses by 2dB (pretty lame if you ask me, especially when compared to what the KRK’s have to offer).
They also have a frequency response of 45Hz to 25kHz.
Build Quality
Like most studio monitors, be it budget or expensive ones, they are very well put together, are quite heavy, and should absolutely last you a very long time if properly taken care of.
The volume knob is also quite firm and the 3-way switches require a bit of force to be moved, which is always a good thing.
Connectivity
- 1x XLR.
- 1x RCA.
Note: No TRS.
As you can see, these monitors don’t offer a TRS connection, which means that you will either have to connect them XLR to XLR, if your audio interface has XLR outputs, or use a TRS to XLR cable.
Sound Quality
As far as the high end goes, the T5V sound phenomenal and it’s definitely where they excel at.
However, the lower end is a bit lacking and all of this makes it so that they don’t sound as balanced, or as flat in general.
What I’ve encountered after using them for a while, is that I get more ear fatigue because of that more-pronounced high end than with other more flat-sounding monitors.
For mixing music, general music listening, watching movies, etc., they do work quite well.
Lastly, and this is purely based on my own experience, some people seem to love these monitors while some others don’t, and that is kind of what happened to me when I tried them at my friend’s house, since he absolutely loves them, whereas I prefer something a bit more balanced-sounding, like the Kali LP-6 or LP-8.
So, I’d recommend trying them out, if possible in your own home studio, and to compare them to other monitors, also in your studio (doing A/B testing would be ideal), so that you can find out exactly which ones work well for you in your specific room.
Price Tag
The Adam T5V are a bit pricier than the KRK’s, about 15-20% more expensive, and you should be able to get them for about $220 depending on where you buy them.
- You can get the Adam T5V here: Amazon, Sweetwater.
Both of these monitors are part of my list of the best Studio Monitors under $300 that you should also check out!
KRK Rokit 5 G4
The KRK Rokit 5 Studio monitors are extremely popular, especially in the DJ and EDM circles, and you may have probably seen loads of home studios that have these.
They feature a 5” woofer and a 1” tweeter made out of Kevlar which ensures that the sound is evenly distributed off the cone, which is one of the reasons they are so popular.
Contrary to the Adam T5V, the KRK Rokit 5 have the bass reflex port on the front. In addition to this, even though they have the same size 5″ woofer, the KRK’s have a much more present low-end, although a bit muddy at times.
I mentioned that the Adam T5V have those two HF and LF switches for adjusting their sound signature. However, the Rokit 5 are even better in this regard since they feature an LED screen and a whole lot of EQ options, plus you can download the App to get real-time access to spectral analysis, and it can also help you with monitor placement, subwoofer level adjustment, and more.
So, it’s fair to say that as far as the overall built-in features go, the KRK have the Adam monitors beat by a mile.
Build Quality
First of all, none of the studio monitors I’ve ever tried, except for maybe the really cheap ones, suffer from poor build quality, and the KRK Rokit 5 are no exception, really.
They feel very well put together, the volume knob, which is also used to control the built-in screen, feels sturdy and durable, etc.
All in all, no complaints in this department.
Connectivity
- 1x XLR/TRS combo.
Note: No RCA.
Sound Quality
Like it tends to happen with most 5” studio monitors, the low end can be a bit lacking.
I do have to say, however, that these are a fairly balanced-sounding pair of monitors, especially when compared to the Adam T5V or the Yamaha HS5.
The highs and mids sound great without being too hyphy, and the low end, despite the 5” woofers, does come through quite nicely, although I do have to say that I found the low end to be quite muddy at times.
All in all, the KRK sound more balanced than the Adam T5V, since they do have a bit more low end and the highs and mids aren’t overly exaggerated.
Price Tag
The KRK Rokit 5 G4 generally sell for around $180, but I’ve seen them go for a bit less, which is actually about 20% cheaper than the Adam T5V.
- You can get the KRK Rokit 5 G4 here: Amazon, Sweetwater.
Overall Impressions & recommendation
Even though the KRK’s sound a bit more balanced and have all those extra features for adjusting the EQ, etc., I have to say that they don’t really work as well for mixing & music production as I would’ve thought, at least when compared to the Adam T5v.
Although the Adam monitors sound a bit hyphy, that extra mid- and high end boost allows you to better hear all that higher frequency content while mixing, and the truth is that the mids and high-mids tend to be a problematic area which always needs addressing, and with the Adam monitors it’s a bit easier to gauge what needs to be adjusted.
Of course, you won’t have as much low end as you would with the KRK’s, so you may need to compensate for that. But overall, I’d recommend the Adam T5V over the KRK Rokit 5 G4.
I hope this information was useful!
Have a great day!
